Micro-donations might be ARE the most un-explored financial resource available to those who raise money for a living.

“Obama’s online operation, broke down the numbers: 3 million donors made a total of 6.5 million donations online adding up to more than $500 million. Of those 6.5 million donations, 6 million were in increments of $100 or less. The average online donation was $80, and the average Obama donor gave more than once.”–from a Washington Post article on Obama’s online fundraising campaign

Two characteristics of the average person who gives to Campus Crusade that are relevant to this:

40-60 years old

Middle-upper class

Those 20-40 and 60 and above are two HUGE age groups that experience friction in giving the traditional $100 a month. Using micro-donations as a complement to our existing strategy not only increases the amount of people giving, but the amount of people PRAYING!

Another quote from the same Washington Post Article:

“Linnie Frank Bailey, a 52-year-old mother of two in Riverside, Calif., is such a donor. In the past two years, she gave a total of $120.40, mostly in $10 increments. She made her last $10 online donation two days before the election.”

I’m convinced all of us have quite a few Linnie’s in our network that could be mobilized to greater participation via a micro-donation strategy.

Two other reasons to consider the strategy:

1. It’s easy for people to increase their giving if they start small

2. It’s hard for people to discontinue their giving if they are giving a small amount

Our family has begun using micro-donations as a COMPLEMENTARY strategy. So far we have noticed:

It has been successful in converting those under 30 and over 60 to giving.

It has allowed us to use the web (our own ministry blog and Facebook) to ask, follow up, and then have the person start the giving process. We have primarily used this for people living too far away to meet with in person.

It has been DIFFICULT to convince people that a small amount makes a difference; we clearly cast vision that the strategy is for a large amount of people to give a small amount.

$500 in extra support could be 50 people at $10 a month, 25 people at $20 a month, or a combination of some sort.

Have you explored micro-donations as part of your fund-raising strategy?